Their Story
by charley3
Summary: An account of Chandler and Monica's lives told by their daughter Abigail. This story takes into account The End series, therefore best to read that series first. Note: 1st 2 chapters are short, main story starts from chapter 3... PLS R
1. Preview

**Their Story**

**(Preview)**

This is a preview of Their Story which is an account of Chandler and Monica's life together told by their daughter Abigail…

***

…Abby thought back to the moment that her Dad told her he was dying, and then she smiles – remembering how much he had achieved in his life, especially since he had such a crappy childhood. She begins to tell his story…

**Childhood Memories – Part 1**

***

…Everything changed after that fateful Thanksgiving – not just his parents' marriage and lifestyle but also Chandler himself. He became bitter and angry; he started to develop sarcasm that would forever be a part of his personality. The once shy, quiet boy who preferred his own company now wanted attention and the only way he knew to get the attention he craved was to rebel. He started skipping school, not doing his homework and worse, he started smoking!...

**Childhood Memories – Part 1**

***

…She emptied the water and before she turned and left the bathroom she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror – she checked her face all the time, she needed to know when she was going to start looking like Ross, because for some reason her Mum and Dad loved Ross more than her. Her blue eyes tortured her, she had the same black hair and similar features but her eyes were blue – Ross's were brown! Was that why? She hated her eyes, she hated being a girl, in fact she hated anything that made her different to Ross, and thus making her parents dislike her. Well that was the only reason the 6 year old Monica could find…

**Childhood Memories – Part 2**

***

…Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was just a cruel comment on his behalf, maybe it was because he was the first boy that she honestly liked, maybe it was none of the above – we can theorise all we want but what happened happened and he changed her life that day by one stupid comment, and although it hurt. Oh it hurt like hell for Monica, but it changed her for the better – and made her take control of her life and screw her parents and Ross.

He was Chandler Bing…

**Childhood Memories – Part 2**

***

…She fell down into the chair, her heart beating fast, she took a couple of deep breaths and started to stand up but felt a pain in her stomach that was so bad that she fell back into the chair gasping for air again. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'not now.' But it was now and every time she got up she fell back down in pain – she started to panic, she was alone, in pain and about to give birth on her and Chandler's balcony…

**Childhood Memories – Part 3**

***

…Abby sat on the plane that was flying to the country that she would be spending the next 3 years in. A new part of her life, and she felt bad that she had destroyed her perfect family by a stupid crush and now it felt like she was running away from her mistake. But she had done her best, she hoped that her Dad would stop being stubborn and realise that his little angel wasn't as angelic as he thought. She fingered the St. Christopher around her neck and prayed that everything would turn out okay…

**Childhood Memories – Part 3**

***

I hope that this small preview has got you interested enough to read the whole series. I would appreciate all feedback, suggestions and constructive criticism.  

Charlotte Adelaide

2002


	2. Prologue

**Their Story**

**(Prologue)**

Summer 2016

Abby opened her eyes – water flooded them, but she didn't care. This felt like a dream, well it didn't feel real that was for sure. Her lungs started to strain for air and she knew that she should return to the surface for oxygen. She loved water – any chance she had she was in water; swimming, showers, baths, the rain. It didn't matter, as long as she could feel the wetness against her skin that was all that mattered. 

She wanted to be a mermaid – beautiful, elegant and able to swim deep and see beautiful sights. _God, she thought, __why can't I hold my breath for longer than 1 damn minute!?!? Abby was stubborn and the idea of oxygen restricting the only place she was comfortable – in water – was irritating. Alas she returned to the surface, the combination of the sun and its light bouncing off the water surface blinded her for a few seconds, she drew a tanned hand above her eyes while they adjusted. As her sight returned to took in her surroundings – she momentarily forgot where she was, then she saw her mother – her beautiful dark hair gently blew around her shoulders and her dad, grinning at her. She mirrored his smile, their blue eyes met and him, only he could read her thoughts – he could feel her happiness and final content. _

This was it, she had felt so uncomfortable in her own skin for 16 years like she was meant to do something else, she spent her childhood quietly by herself while her brother was loud and witty. In her early teens she begrudged her brother's popularity and even though she was a straight A student and was considered a 'nice girl' she could never and would never understand why Stephen was so popular. An average C student, always skipping school and when the girl teasing turned into girl chasing at the young age of 14 she begrudged him anymore, boys never asked Abby out. 

Abby went to school everyday, every evening she did her homework, she spent time with her family and on weekends she would go swimming. Nobody knew, but when she swam she wasn't Abigail – she was a beautiful mermaid called Hope, and she was the Princess of the mermaid kingdom, her name was given because before her birth the mermaid kingdom was under attack by the Great White Sharks of the Atlantic but after Hope was born they mysteriously backed away – leaving the mermaids and mermen in peace. So, she was named Hope – she gave hope to the mermaid kingdom. Her life was perfect, she was intelligent and beautiful. Popular and kind-hearted. She was the only mermaid that swam with wild dolphins and whales, they unconsciously trusted her. She had a psychic link with the mammals of the sea.

Now was moment when that illusion could be shattered or made true – the beautiful animal was swimming around her, she drew her hand out and touched its skin. She drew her hand back shocked – she didn't expect dolphins to feel like that, they were so soft, like rubber but not so harsh, silk but not too fragile. The dolphin, which was called Hamlet, lifted his head out the water and squeaked at her. Tears screamed down her face – she knew, she knew what she was meant to do in life. 

**The dolphin had told her.**

**She had the power.**

**She was no longer uncomfortable in her own skin.**

**She was going to follow a family tradition.**

**She was going to write…**


	3. Introduction

**Their Story**

**(Chapter 1: Introduction)**

2041

She sat down and turned her laptop on – she looked around the house, photos everywhere of them, even before they fell in love. She turned her attention back to the screen and opened Microsoft Word. She paused. She loved reading and writing, so obviously being a biographer suited her. She got to write people's life stories, and loved it – and was good at it. She flipped her long dark hair over her shoulders; put her glasses on and her blue eyes gazed over the screen. This biography wasn't going to sell millions of copies like her last one, but this was sentimental and she was documenting the beginnings of a family history. Hopefully it will be continued one day, but she didn't think it would unless someone from the next generation has her passion for story writing.

She placed her fingers on the keys but then paused again. She had always loved fairytales – her mum used to read her a different fairytale every night, then the worse thing possible happened – her mum ran out of fairytales! So, her dad stepped in, took over that role and managed to invent a new fairytale every bedtime. Her favourites were about princesses and mermaids.

Therefore it seemed rather poetic to begin this autobiography with those four magic words…

Once upon a time…

_BLUE EYES_

_- A real life fairytale about friendship and love…_

_Abigail Geller Bing_

_Once upon a time in the late 1960's in the north east of the US, Chandler Murial Bing and Monica Emma Geller were born to completely different families and raised in completely different lifestyles._

_Chandler Bing – only child to Charles and Nora Tyler Bing – was born into a comfortable lifestyle, but this could never make up for the emotional strain of this parents' divorce that would be put upon the young Chandler in his 9th year._

_Monica Geller – born to Jack and Judy Geller who had the perfect marriage – would always be in the shadow of her elder brother, Ross. And this sad fact would haunt Monica way into her adult years._

_In the year 2000 Chandler Bing married Monica Geller and it was the happiest day of their lives and although this may seem like another love story, another Romeo and Juliet but with a happy ending, but this is not so. Yes, it is a love story or a life story like I like to describe it and it does have a happy ending however, it is well deserved. Chandler and Monica had much heartache through their lives, family pressures to relationship troubles, and they didn't meet and fall in love at first sight – in fact it was the opposite._

_However, I'm getting ahead of myself; the best place to start is at the beginning. But since __Chandler__ and Monica didn't meet until their late teens I'm going to start with __Chandler__'s childhood then move onto Monica's…_


	4. Childhood Memories Part 1

**Their Story**

**(Chapter 2: Childhood Memories – Part 1)**

Year 2039

"Abby, I have something to tell you." He said as he came through her front door, he looked worried, actually more nervous than worried.

"Sure Dad, what's up?" They walked to the couch in the lounge and sat down, silence, she started to get nervous herself, whenever her Dad – who was always joking around – got nervous and worried she did as well. Something must be really wrong, was it mum?

"Dad, are you okay?"

"Not really. Well there's no point delaying it – Abigail," he took her hands in his, "I'm dying, I've got lung cancer."

Silence.

"That isn't funny Dad."

"Wasn't meant to be sweetie."

"NO!" She jumped up and started pacing around the room, like she did when she got upset, nervous, excited, so okay she did it all the time – Abby always seemed to have too much energy. "This can't be happening – you can't die! I need you, Stephen needs you, God, what about Mum, she needs you so much!"

"I'm sorry Abby, but there's nothing the doctor's can do."

"But, but, but, I NEED YOU! I can't live without you. You are my role model Dad, you have always been. I love you; I don't want to loose you. There's so much that you and I haven't done, I was going to fly you and I to London for your birthday – show you where I studied and you were going to show me where Uncle Ross got married and you and Mum started dating. I've already asked Mum, she doesn't mind, this was going to be our trip."

"Life is too short at times… far too short."

"That doesn't make me feel any better! I can't live without you Dad."

"Abby, I have no worries about you, when you were born I looked into your eyes and saw your future – I knew you would rock the world and you have. I called you my little earth-mover 'cause you were gonna move the earth and you have! I never worried about you. You have a passion built inside you Abigail, so deep and strong, and you don't need me to help you anymore. It's your brother I'm more worried about, he's spent far too much time with Joey and Phoebe when he was younger – now as your Auntie Phoebe would say, he can be a bit flippy…"

"You mean floopy, Dad?"

"Yeah, floopy, he can be a bit floopy at times. You have to keep an eye on him!"

"No, I won't, because you are going to stay and keep an eye on him, yourself and if and when you leave us, then Mum will keep an eye on him. I don't want to be a parent to my younger brother."

"We aren't asking you to be honey. But there's something else I got to tell you."

"What?"

"Your Mum and I made a deal years ago, that if either of us got seriously ill and our children are grown up, then whoever isn't ill has the other's blessing to follow the other"

Silence.

"Is that a fancy way of saying that Mum is gonna commit suicide when you die?" She said is a surprisingly even voice.

"No, that means that WE, your Mum and I, are going to decide when we die and how."

"You're BOTH gonna commit suicide? So you also want a fucking joint funeral as well?"

"Abigail Geller Bing, watch your mouth!" She ignores him.

"Oh isn't it SOOOO Romeo and Juliet? SOOOO Romantic, '...and they loved each other so unconditionally that they decided to leave this world together, and spend the rest of eternity together…' is that what you two want to hear? To become a romantic legend, want me to put that on your fucking grave stone? Well guess what Dad? I happen to think Romeo and Juliet were very selfish – if they were real of course – I mean did they think for second about their family? And you're doing the same."

"You won't be alone Abby, you'll have Stephen, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Joey and Aunt Phoebe. You have to understand sweetie, your Mum and I watch everyday how your Aunt Rachel suffers without Uncle Ross by her side, she loved him so much and he died far too soon. I don't want Monica to live in pain like Rachel."

"What about us? You are so wrapped up in losing your wife and Mum losing her husband that you forget that you as making your children lose both parents at the same time!"

"It's not like that…" But Abby cuts him off.

"Yes it is, did I ever tell you about my friend Charlotte?" She continues without a response. "Well her Dad died when she was 21 and her brother was 16, he was only 48 and died because of a hospital fuck-up! And ever since we've been friends, which is many years now, not a week goes by when she misses her Dad. She adored her Dad like I adore you, but at least her Mum had the guts to let her husband die and stick around for her children."

"She was 21 and her brother 16, you're 39 and your brother is 37! Big difference!"

"Doesn't matter, we are still your children and we will still lose both parents at once. If you and Mum do this, then I'll never forgive either of you." With that she stormed upstairs, leaving Chandler sitting on the couch, tears starting to scream down his face.

Year 2041

Abby thought back to the moment that her Dad told her he was dying, and then she smiles – remembering how much he had achieved in his life, especially since he had such a crappy childhood. She begins to tell his story…

_Unless you are an only child you cannot understand the loneliness an only child feels which are why many only children are spoilt brats! Of course there are a few exceptions and __Chandler__ was kind of in the middle of the scale, he was spoilt but no to the point of becoming a spoilt brat. The money came from Charles being a successful accountant before he changed his career, while Nora was a typical housewife. She didn't have to work, but became bored easily considering her wild past (she used to be a model-turned-wannabe-actress). So by the time __Chandler__ went to school Nora had decided to start work again, although she tried to go back to modelling she discovered that she was pregnant again so basically her career was over. Abigail Bing was born in 1972, but due to pregnancy complications she was born premature, baby Abigail fought for nearly year before she died, and the death of their only daughter shook the Bing family more than ever. Nora threw herself into a new career, she was an ambitious woman and thus tried something new – novel writing – no, let me rephrase, erotic romance novel writing. Oh it sounds bad I know but true and she was good at it. Think about it, a bored housewife with an overactive imagination writing erotic romance novels. Well it worked and lucky too because the Bing's financial situation was going to change dramatically in a few years and Nora would find herself thrown from submissive housewife to dominant career driven single mother._

_Until his parents' divorce Chandler had an ordinary childhood – a shy, sandy brown, blue eyed boy, good at school, a few friends – not popular but not disliked. Chandler was a quiet boy, after school every night would be the same – his Mum would pick him up from school, while the house boy would be making dinner. He would come home to a family dinner then he would be asked about school by his parents. After about 15-20 minutes of 'polite' conversation __Chandler__ would go upstairs to the study to do his homework before going to his room to play._

_Before his parents started arguing __Chandler__ never really watched TV, he would rather play with his toys or when he got older he would read. When he was 8 his favourite teacher, Miss Carter, noticed __Chandler__'s flare for reading and writing and she had called Nora to arrange a meeting to discuss __Chandler__'s potentials. It was a Friday after school when Miss Carter was waiting with __Chandler__ for Nora to arrive but when she did the teacher was sadly shocked. Nora wasn't interested in discussing Chandler, instead she had a dinner arranged with her publisher and since she never needed extra help to read and write and she had made it as an famous author, why should Chandler? Miss Carter felt bad for Chandler, so from then every lunch time for about half an hour, she would sit with __Chandler__ and talk to him about books and his story writing._

_And on Christmas Day 1977, while his parents were at a restaurant having a Christmas meal, __Chandler__ was in his room surrounded by presents that he hadn't even opened yet. Instead he was enjoying the early Christmas present Miss Carter had brought him – The Lord of the Rings. He was sitting on his bed, but in __Chandler__'s mind he was standing next to Sam Gamgee while he carried his master, Frodo Baggins, up __Mount__Doom__ to destroy the Ring of Power._

_However, after Thanksgiving 1978 __Chandler__ never read or wrote passionately again…_

Early 1978

A just turned 9 year old Chandler ran upstairs to his bedroom tears screaming down his face. This was the third time this week that THEY had said things. THEY being the boys picking on him at school. His Mum was becoming famous with her books, so famous that other parents were reading her books and with a name like Bing it didn't take long for parents to realise that Chandler Bing was Nora Tyler Bing's son, then like children do – they find out and then they start to make fun of Chandler. The problem was that his Mum had never really told him much about her books, she had always told him they were 'adult stories' and he wouldn't understand them, so Chandler accepted it and continued reading his books. But now THEY were saying that his Mum's books were 'giggle-giggle-naughty-books' and started telling Chandler about conversations their parents have had about 'things' in the books. But what really hurt Chandler today was that one of THEM has stolen a copy of one of his Mum's books and gave it to Chandler to read in reading time – well not actually gave, rather thrust in front of him open at page 47 and out of instinct Chandler read. When Chandler finally gasped out of shock THEY shut the book and showed the front cover to Chandler. The title wasn't important, just the name of the author – NORA TYLER BING. Chandler had run out of his class and ran all the way home. So here he was, running into his room, grabbing a bag and starting to chuck a few clothes and his favourite book and his writing pad into the bag. Then he climbed out of his window, knowing that the house boy would have heard him come in and would tell his parents if he went out. He dropped the bag on the gram and climbed down the tree that grew by his bedroom window; he picked up his bag and continued running. He knew he had no where to go, all his friends weren't allowed to see Chandler anymore because of his Mum's books. Their parents didn't want their children accidentally reading that 'smut' but it wasn't 'smut' when they read the books in their beds at night. So Chandler ran to the first place anyone would look for him, but he didn't care – he just needed to get away for a while, and he had no where else to go.

Year 2041

Abby paused, remembering the story that her Dad told her years ago, that because of his Mum's fame, he had no friends at school. Then with his parents' divorce, he just couldn't emotionally deal with it all – 1978 – that fateful year, the worse year of his life.

_As the summer days ended so was the Bing's marriage – __Chandler__ knew it was happening but he didn't know why. They argued more, __Chandler__ tried to drown out the rows by blasting his TV some nights, they argued mostly about his Dad's late nights – some weekends he never came home until late Sunday evening. Although his Mum got angry at first, eventually she either gave up or stopped caring because she started going out more as well. By the end of the summer Chandler spent most weekends with his Grandmother (his Mum's Mother), not that he minded, Chandler loved spending time with his Nan, she was fun and she took him out to the Zoo and swimming pools and other fun places. But what __Chandler__ enjoyed most was listening to stories and often they used to make up their own stories._

_As Thanksgiving came nearer the problems between Charles and Nora got worse, Chandler hated going home, he left for school earlier and stayed after school for as long as possible then every weekend he stayed at his Grandmother's. It was during Thanksgiving dinner, which he was dreading anyway, that he finally found out what problems his parents were having and their solution – a divorce._

Thanksgiving 1978

[Scene: The Bing household, Mr. and Mrs. Bing and Young Chandler are eating Thanksgiving dinner as a housekeeper serves them.]

**Mrs. Bing:** Now Chandler dear, just because your father and I are getting a divorce it doesn't mean we don't love you. It just means he would rather sleep with the house-boy than me.

**The Housekeeper:** More turkey Mr. Chandler? (And he makes eyes at him.)

_Everything changed after that fateful Thanksgiving – not just his parents' marriage and lifestyle but also __Chandler__ himself. He became bitter and angry; he started to develop sarcasm that would forever be a part of his personality. The once shy, quiet boy who preferred his own company now wanted attention and the only way he knew to get the attention he craved was to rebel. He started skipping school, not doing his homework and worse, he started smoking!_

_And it worked, but by the time his parents noticed the damage had been done, and although over the years __Chandler__'s defensive sarcasm would change from bitter to playful, he lost all confidence in himself and his family. In desperation Charles and Nora sent __Chandler__ to Nora's mother for a period of time to hopefully calm him down and give Charles and Nora time to sort out the final divorce arrangements and other issues._

_Chandler was nearly 11 when he went back to live with his Mum, who then dumped him in a boarding school, and that decision wasn't his Grandmother's or __Chandler__'s. Living with his Nan did do Chandler the world of good, and he loved it, he still saw his parents, weekends, holidays etc. But Charles and Nora kept moving around so __Chandler__ stayed put. Charles eventually quit his job and moved to __Las Vegas__ and arrangements were made for __Chandler__ to visit his Dad every summer. Nora stayed in New York but she decided to complete her book contract as soon as possible so she could have enough money to take care of Chandler on her own – translation – pay for Chandler to go to a boarding school._

_Two years for a child is a long time, and Nora noticed that, even though she saw her son regularly it's not the same as living with him every day. __Chandler__ went back to a quiet, shy boy but for the not the same reasons as before the divorce. Chandler never talked about his loneliness, he started painting like his Grandmother did. He had come home from school one afternoon to find his __Nan__ sitting in the garden painting her large garden, but in the painting there was a small garden house. __Chandler__ asked why she had painted something that wasn't there and she replied that this was the fun of painting. You can paint out your dreams and one day they may come true. She was planning to build a garden house with her husband but he had died before they would build it (he died when __Chandler__ was 3). She told __Chandler__ to try it, so he did and over the years he not only got better, his paintings got more detailed. His first painting was of him, his Mum, Dad and his baby sister Abigail in his garden – together, as a family. As he got older he painted himself with friends and girlfriends and his paintings kept him company. He stared at them, living in the paintings. He never showed anyone them but his __Nan__, not his Mum, Dad or his future friends. His paintings were his way of coping with his loneliness and the only other person he voluntary showed his paintings to was his future wife. Although __Chandler__ loved painting he never pursued it at school, in his eyes it was a personal release, not a talent or career._

_Chandler's teenage years were pretty much the same, he hated boarding school, and he was never popular and only had a couple of friends. He met Michael and John when he started at the boarding school and they got up to the usual mischief, when graduation came all 3 of them made the empty promises of staying in touch after moving to college, but it never happened. The only way __Chandler__ would be remembered from school would be as the class clown of graduating class 1987. Chandler was dreading college, back to square one – no friends, and the fact that had been at an all-boys boarding school meant that __Chandler__ still never had a girlfriend at 18. The only reason __Chandler__ went to college was so he didn't have to go back and live with his Mum, and was convinced that his time at college would be as bad at his time as school._

_But that was before he met his roommate, Ross Geller…_


	5. Childhood Memories Part 2

**Their Story**

**(Chapter 3: Childhood Memories – Part 2)**

Year 2030

Abby walked up to her parents' house, it was a beautiful Sunday evening, shame she had to fly off to LA the next morning – she would have loved to spend more time with her parents, she doesn't get to see them much these days. Abby was never in one place for long, but that was going to have to change because of Jason – he had proposed to her, it was quite a surprise, but she loved him and after years of doubting herself she had finally found a man who loves her for the way she is and she loves him back. The problem was that he wasn't American, he was Australian and lived down under but they both agreed to compromise and go somewhere they would be both happy. It helps that he was a freelance photographer so he could work anywhere and Abby was having a career change from fiction writer to auto-biographer, which is why she was flying out to LA Monday morning. She had an interview to write Christina Ricci's biography. Christina had died 6 months ago from an overdose; she couldn't live without her husband who died a year and a half before. But Christina was an amazing actress and had come a long way from Wednesday Addams in the film **The Addams Family in the early '90's before Abby was even born, but she made it her job to find out as much information as possible – she really wanted this contract.**

She knocked on their front door, they were expecting her, they already knew about Jason's proposal and her acceptance but her Mum had insisted that she come and see them. Monica opened the door, her once black hair was lined with silver but it didn't make her look old, it made her look elegant. "Abby! Come in." She did so and immediately got crushed by her Dad, who had been hovering behind the door, then her Mum joined the hug – they held her so tight that she couldn't breathe. "Mum, Dad, can't, breathe, please…" They laughed and let go. "Oh my God, my little baby is getting married – I knew you'd accept." Chandler said beaming with pride. Abby was a little confused, 'knew you'd accept' what did that mean? "Dad what do you mean?"

"Abby sweetie, Jason called me and asked for your hand in marriage; he said that over the years you had told him about how you wished for the fairy tale life and marriage, the one where the man asks the woman's father for her hand in marriage and how you were worried that you had too high expectations…" He got cut off.

"OH MY GOD! He took that seriously!?!?! I meant it when I was younger, a silly little girl with dreams, I didn't mean it as a hint." Monica joined in, "he knew that honey, but he wanted to make your dreams come true." Then Abby cried, which made her parents cry, they all cried and hugged again.

A little later Monica and Abby were sitting at the kitchen table, Monica with a coffee, Abby with a glass of juice. "So was the only reason you wanted to see me was to congratulate me? Because I get the feeling there's something more." Monica took a sip of her coffee, "ahhh, never try to fool your brain, you are way too intelligent for your own good. And where you get your intelligence from is a mystery. Probably your Uncle Ross."

"No way, I get it from my Dad!" Abby stated proudly, then as an after thought, "and of course you, Mother dearest."

"Cheeky cow." Monica replied playfully. "Anyway, you're right as usual, I wanted to give you something that I made when I was younger, way younger and used when your father and I got married." Monica went to the kitchen worktop and picked up her wedding book that she had put there earlier, she then placed it in front of Abby. "Is this what I think it is?" She didn't wait for a reply, "the famous wedding book?"

"Yes, although I never knew it was famous, I only thought I had mentioned it a few times…"

"Aunt Rachel." She stated.

"Ahhh, one of Rachel's famous lets-embarrass-your-parents stories. I should have known better." Abby laughed.

"So tell me the correct story then."

"Okay, well I was really young…"

Then Monica told Abby the story which touched her so much that she passed the story onto her children, and wrote about it in the last autobiography she ever wrote – her parents.

Year 2041

She missed them, she didn't agree with what they did, but she forgave them because she understood. If they loved each other as much as she and Jason loved each other then she understood – and hoped that they are happy and content wherever they are. This was becoming painful to write – it had been 6 weeks since they had left this world together and sitting here, in their house, with all the memories was hard. She had sat frozen with tears streaming down her face for hours, it's the memories that are hard, and they wouldn't let her rest. She just thought of a quote that fitted how she felt perfectly – the years go by so fast… 

And they did, she was 41 now, it only seemed like yesterday she was 31, and the day before 21… and then as she continues to type as she wonders how she made it through life so quickly…

_Often the younger sibling of a family is the spoilt one while all the pressures are passed to the older sibling. However this wasn't the case for the Geller family. Monica's elder brother Ross was apparently the 'miracle child'. Jack and Judy thought that they couldn't have children so when Judy became pregnant it seemed like Ross was a gift from God. So I'm not exaggerating when I say that Monica was born in Ross's shadow._

_A 6 year old Monica sat in her bedroom playing with her brand new tea set that she got for Christmas. She laid her dollies around in a circle and poured them all a cup of invisible tea; she then gave them all a magic biscuit and sat down herself. After polite conversation and finishing the tea and biscuits Monica, being the host, got up and cleared up all the cups, saucers and plates. She carried them to the bathroom and filled the sink with warm water. Then Monica dropped all the cups, saucers and plates in the sink and then methodically cleaned and dried each item. She emptied the water and before she turned and left the bathroom she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror – she checked her face all the time, she needed to know when she was going to start looking like Ross, because for some reason her Mum and Dad loved Ross more than her. Her blue eyes tortured her, she had the same black hair and similar features but her eyes were blue – Ross's were brown! Was that why? She hated her eyes, she hated being a girl, in fact she hated anything that made her different to Ross, and thus making her parents dislike her. Well that was the only reason the 6 year old Monica could find. As she was leaving the bathroom she could hear Ross telling Mum and Dad about his day at school for the 4th time, and demonstrating his science project and showing off his first prize. Last week Monica had won the reading prize at school – she had read a story out to the class and didn't make one mistake! She told Ross on the way home from school and he laughed at her, saying that he had won the reading prize when he was 5 and she was 6 and so was a dummy and stupid! Monica cried, she said that her teacher, Mr Jenkins, had said that she was a good reader, better than some children in the year above. Ross didn't care though, but Monica knew her parents would be proud, it was her first school prize – they would be proud! Wouldn't' they? Monica ran in the door before Ross when they got home and she ran to her Mum and showed her the prize, her Mum said 'well done dear, now what did my little Rossy-boy win today?' Monica ran upstairs crying._

_For years Monica didn't understand, she got everything she wanted food, clothes, presents at birthdays and Christmases but that wasn't enough. She could never be the centre of attention in her house so by the time she was 8 she was spending most of her time at her best friend's house, Rachel Green. Monica and Rachel met a year before, they were in the same class at school, and sat together in class. It wasn't long before they spent play and lunch times together, then after school at Rachel's house. Rachel often asked to go back to Monica's house, but she always made excuses, which suited Rachel fine because Daddy brought her everything so she never needed to borrow anything off friends. One afternoon Rachel was playing dress-up with her older sister's clothes with Monica, and Rachel was laughing so hard at a story that Monica was telling her about Ross and then Rachel said that she HAD to write this in her diary. Monica saw that Rachel's diary was filled with cuts outs from magazines, comments, stories, pictures – just loads of stuff that Rachel found interesting._

_"Wow Rach, that's so cool. I wanna make one."_

_"Why don't ya?"_

_"I wouldn't know what to put in it."_

_"Well why don't you write down all the stupid things your brother does and then you can give it to him on his 21st birthday."_

_The girls roared with laughter. _

_"Here, I have a blank diary – Daddy got me a 3 pack for my birthday."_

_"Thanks Rachel."_

_And that was the revenge that Monica needed – she never actually showed Ross her dairy, over the years it wasn't just stupid Ross comments that she wrote in it, there was other things. Monica wrote in it when she was angry, sad, depressed and even if she was happy._

_Over the years Monica had many diaries, she wrote in it nearly every night and took it everywhere with her, she even brought ones with locks because she was convinced Ross would peak. She had so many that she started organising them, she had personal diaries and dream diaries. Personal diaries were just Monica's thoughts and feelings while her dream diaries (no they weren't about her dreams) were about things she wanted. In her first dream diary there were cut outs from magazines of beautiful women (with Monica's face stuck over them) with handsome men on their arms. There were also drawings of things that Monica had always wanted, for example she drew (with the help of a kitchen magazine) and planned her dream kitchen. _

_One day Monica decided to walk home from school with Rachel and they passed a bridal school._

_"Oh wow!!!! Monica look at this wedding dress!!!"_

_"That is beautiful – I can't wait to be a bride, and have the perfect husband, perfect children, perfect house."_

_"Monica that is boring! I wanna get married to wear the cool dress, you wanna get married for all the boring reasons, typical."_

_"Hey, not fair, I wanna wear the dress as well but I wanna have a picture perfect life as well."_

_"Monica you're 12 and you're thinking about getting married – you haven't kissed a boy yet, and trust me you don't want to. It's all wet and disgusting!"_

_"That's not the point, Rachel."_

_"Whatever, I'm going home, are you coming."_

_"Yeah."_

_But the next day Monica went back told the shopkeeper that her 'sister' was getting married and wondered if he had some pictures she could look at, he gave her their shop catalogue. Monica then spent that weekend cutting out pictures of wedding dresses and sticking them into her dream diary – or what would eventually be called the 'wedding book'._

_Things started turning worse for Monica once she turned 13, her dream diary idea had started to backfire on her – she now was getting so depressed that she wasn't perfect in her own eyes that she begin to hate herself. Her parents, as usual, didn't notice, Ross being on the honour roll had taken up all their time – paying for extra tutors to tutor Ross in the evenings meant that Jack started to do over time at his work to raise the money and Monica's swimming classes, that she started when she was 10, had to go. Monica got more upset and bitter, and began to hate Ross more than ever. Without Monica's swimming she had no way to get rid off all her anger – so, sadly, Monica started eating and naturally starting putting on weight. _

**_She hated Ross even more._**

_She had turned from a pretty, slim girl with friends to a fat teenager with 1 friend, Rachel Green was her 1 friend, and ironically Ross liked Rachel more than his own sister._

**_She then hated Ross even more._**

_Although Rachel was her only friend, Rachel was not the nicest friend to Monica. Rachel was the most popular girl at school, she was a cheerleader and very pretty so the boys loved Rachel._

**_They didn't love Monica._**

_Rachel had a reputation to keep up, so while Rachel still invited Monica around after school and weekends, Rachel told Monica she didn't have time to talk to Monica at school. She basically ignored her, or she let Monica hang around only to carry her books when there wasn't a cute guy to carry them for her._

**_Queen Rachel and Slave Monica they were called._**

_It became a craze at Lincoln High, like a charity – the unpopular kids were allowed to hang around the popular kids, in return they had to do their homework, carry books etc. But Monica never knew any of this – or rather she chose not to know._

**_The head cheerleader and the unpopular fat girl._**

_The sad fact was that Rachel actually liked Monica, but not enough to give up her popularity, and although Rachel 'tried' to help Monica stop eating, she just couldn't. Every time should make an effort her Mum, Dad or Ross would say something that would make Monica go back to the fridge and eat. _

_Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was just a cruel comment on his behalf, maybe it was because he was the first boy that she honestly liked, maybe it was none of the above – we can theorise all we want but what happened happened and he changed her life that day by one stupid comment, and although it hurt. Oh it hurt like hell for Monica, but it changed her for the better – and made her take control of her life and screw her parents and Ross._

**_He was _****_Chandler_****_ Bing._**


	6. Childhood Memories Part 3

**Their Story**

**(Chapter 4: Childhood Memories – Part 3)**

Year 2000

Monica stood outside on the balcony; she had her oven timer in one hand and a bucket of hot soapy water in the other. She put the oven timer down on the window sill and the bucket of water on the floor. She stood up and sighed – she was uncomfortable, summer was here and it was usually hot, she placed her hands on the small of her back and slowly leant backwards – she heard her back creak, 'well that's great,' she thought to herself, 'something else wrong, why can't this be over!?!' She sighed again and plunged her hand into the bucket and scooped out the sponge. There was a slap when the sponge made contact with the balcony window. "This is disgusting," she stated, "that's the last time I make Chandler clean the windows." She was concentrating so hard on scrubbing the windows that when her oven timer went off 20 minutes later Monica nearly fell over with shock, she fell back slightly and stumbled into the chair that was in the corner of the balcony. She fell down into the chair, her heart beating fast, she took a couple of deep breaths and started to stand up but felt a pain in her stomach that was so bad that she fell back into the chair gasping for air again. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'not now.' But it was now and every time she got up she fell back down in pain – she started to panic, she was alone, in pain and about to give birth on her and Chandler's balcony.

"Honey I'm home." Chandler greeted an empty apartment – but he knew instantly that something was wrong, firstly the table was made up for dinner, second the windows had water smears over them, and thirdly smoke was starting to leak out of the oven – he ran over to it and turned the oven off then started to frantically look for Monica in the apartment. "MONICA!!!! MONICA!!!" He paused as he came out of the bathroom and he heard a faint voice and heavy breathing. "Chandler…" The voice was coming from the balcony – he rushed out the window and found Monica (who had managed to move from the chair to the floor) crying in pain and obviously in labour. "Oh my God Monica!" He started towards her, then stopped and ran backwards, stumbling back through the window and grabbed the phone – he then ran back to Monica. He sat next to her and dialled 911.

"Wife, labour, balcony, come now…."

"Sir, would you like the ambulance service?" The annoyingly calm operator asked.

"No, I would like to order a pizza – off COURSE I need an ambulance!"

At that point Monica – who had calmed down since Chandler had arrived – grabbed the phone from Chandler and talked to the operator herself. While she was on the phone Chandler realised that he was about to become a father, he was just getting used to being a husband, granted Monica was pregnant before they got married but that still didn't mean that although he was coping as a husband, he was going to cope as a father!!! Monica hung up the phone. "Chandler they're on their way, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh Mon I'm fine, I'm so sorry I never got home earlier, how long have you been out here?"

"About an hour."

"Oh Monica." He leant forward and kissed her gently – he took her hands in his and leant back and they waited.

The four of them stood looking out the window in a trance – it was like watching a movie with the sound off, they couldn't really hear anything, it was like the shock of the situation had made them deaf. But they saw everything… Monica crying, the blood, Chandler whispering soothing words in Monica's ear. But they couldn't move, they just stood, watching their niece or nephew being born. Regardless of being blood related all of them were going to aunts and uncles to the new addition to the Bing family. The paramedics had decided that Monica was too far in labour to be moved to a hospital, so the baby would have to be delivered on the balcony – which didn't please Monica, in between contractions she yelled at Chandler for doing such a crap job cleaning the balcony when she asked him. After a while the contractions got closer and more painful so Monica stopped worrying about the balcony and instead she concentrated on her breathing. Suddenly there was a scream that not only Monica, Chandler and the paramedics heard – the four of them instead also heard the scream, it woke them up from their trance. The baby was out, and was screaming, the paramedics wrapped the tiny newborn in a blanket.

"It's a girl."

"Monica you hear that? We have a daughter!"

"Really? We have our baby girl?"

"Yeah sweetie."

The paramedic handed the baby over to Monica, Chandler stroked his daughter's head tenderly.

"Do you have a name?"

"Yeah," Monica replied "Abigail."

"That's beautiful."

"Oh but she isn't just Abigail, she's also an angel." Chandler said proudly.

The paramedics rushed Monica and baby Abigail to hospital – but as they, including Chandler, was leaving the apartment the four who had be observing congratulated the new parents. Chandler turned to them as he was walking out the door and said, "I'm a father, a husband and I have the family I never thought I'd have." He smiled and then he left.

The seventh member of the gang did not cause problems that were expected – Chandler and Monica, although now parents, still hung out with the gang, they went to the coffee house, Chandler would more than likely have Abby bouncing up and down on his lap. Monica would still cook breakfast and dinner for everyone while Abby would entertain them by getting her food all over her. As 2001 approached things were changing, Rachel – would had worked everything out with Ross while she was in France – moved in with Ross, they were still engaged and not in any rush to get married, they wanted to take things slow. So with Phoebe living on her own Joey asked if she wanted to move in with him. Joey and Phoebe had never officially stated that they were dating, but it was common knowledge that they not only enjoyed each others' company they also slept with each other now and then. And once Phoebe moved in, the one night stands with other men and women got less and less until they just moved to each others' rooms each night. Joey and Phoebe were Abby's God parents, Chandler and Monica explained to the gang that Rachel (when she marries Ross) and Ross will be Abby's official Aunt and Uncle so they decided Joey and Phoebe should be Abby's God parents. But from the day Abby was born Joey and Phoebe were known to her as Uncle Joey and Aunt Phoebe and that stuck all her life.

Joey became especially attached to Abby, he loved children, he had to to be fair, he did have loads of nieces and nephews himself. But Abby was special in his eyes, and he spoilt her rotten – too much according to Chandler and Monica, every other time Joey babysat Abby he would buy her something or try to teach her his Joey-isms and normally Chandler and Monica would tell him off. So it's not surprising that Abby's first word was 'Joey', although it was cute it did upset Chandler and Monica, who wanted her first word to be mama or dada. However Joey pointed out that if they didn't yell at him so much then Abby wouldn't have picked up 'Joey', soooo in fact it was THEIR fault not his! That didn't impress them though, but after a while they saw the ironic side to Abby's first word being 'Joey', Chandler and Monica had both lost to Joey in Abby's first word fight. 

Year 2001

"Chandler have you finished bathing Abby yet."

Splash!!! 

"Does it sound like it?"

Monica rolled her eyes and continue to ice Abby's birthday cake, meanwhile Chandler was in the bathroom trying to wash Abby's hair, but all Abby wanted to do was splash and get Daddy wet.

"Abigail Bing!!! That's naughty; Daddy has already had his bath."

Monica laughed from the kitchen.

"Dada wet!"

"Yeah Dada is VERY wet now. I know you like splashing but I got to wash your hair…"

Chandler was cut off by Abby making another big splash – she giggled.

Monica finished the cake then opened the fridge and started taking out all the party food, the door opened and Joey walked in.

"Hi Mon, wow how many friends does a 1 year old have?"

"It's her first birthday, I have to make is special. Anyway why are you here?"

"I finished on the set early so I thought I would take Abby downstairs while you and Chandler finish setting up the party."

"Nice thought Joe, but Chandler is bathing Abby."

At that moment Chandler walked out the bathroom, soaking wet, carrying a smiling Abby wrapped in her pink baby dressing down, Chandler sees Joey and walks over to the kitchen.

"Hey Joe." Chandler says tiredly.

"Joey!!!" Abby cries out and stretches out her arms to him.

"Great, my daughter hates me, she just turned 1 and she's chosen Joey over me."

"Well you gotta give angel what she wants and she wants her Uncle Joey doesn't she?" Joey says grinning.

"Joey!!!" Abby pleads.

Chandler gives Abby to Joey and then turns to Monica, who gives him a sympathetic smile.

"Awww, don't worry honey, you know she loves you." They hug. "Eww, Chandler you're all wet, go change."

"Wet? More like drowned, I think Joey is turning our angel into a little devil."

"Ewwww… Abby!!!" Joey said shocked. While Chandler and Monica were talking Joey had been playing with Abby on the couch, she was sitting in his lap and had just peed over him. "She PEED over me – Chandler take her, take her, take her, take her…" Chandler takes Abby and laughs. 

"You really are my daughter aren't ya? Only my angel would wait until she is sitting on Uncle Joey's lap to pee." Chandler and Monica laugh while Joey runs out.

Later at the party, all the gang is there as well as Jack, Judy, Nora and Charles. Abby is dressed in a cute white dress, her long black hair in bunches and she is sitting on the couch in the middle of a mountain of wrapping paper – which Abby is more interesting in playing with than the all the presents lying on the floor. Monica lights the single candle on Abby's birthday cake while Chandler picks her up and the walks to the table, he holds Abby over the cake and everyone starts to sing.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ABIGAIL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU." Then Chandler tells Abby to blow her candle out, there's a round of applause and Abby claps along.

Monica loved taking pictures, and when Abby was born that obsession grew, Abby inherited most of Monica's photo albums, which were amazingly organised. There were thousands of pictures of Abby and her brother Stephen, and then there were thousands of Chandler and Monica, and then thousands of the gang and other friends. Monica wanted to capture all the special moments in her life so they would live on forever. However Abby was disappointed that there wasn't many pictures of her Mum and Dad as children – Monica hated her picture taken as a child while Chandler's parents were never around  when any photo taking moments arose, which is probably why Monica (and Chandler to some extend) took photos everyday. There were photos of Abby eating, sleeping, playing, in the bath, in the park, on holiday etc. You name a special time or occasion and guaranteed there would be picture! But Abby's first birthday had the most pictures – Monica and Chandler were so proud of their daughter, and their favourite picture of Abby at her 1st birthday party is Abby blowing out her candle, Chandler is holding Abby over the cake grinning while Monica's arm is wrapped around his waist and she is leaning on him. It was such a beautiful picture that all of the gang had copies, an enlargement was put up on the wall above the TV in their apartment, Monica carried small copy of the picture in her purse while Chandler had the photo in a beautiful silver photo frame (which had angels in the top left and bottom right corners) on his desk at work.  

Year 2002

Abby was nearly 2 when Monica discovered she was pregnant again; Chandler was thrilled, yes it was a little quick, quicker than they had planned but they were still over the moon. What was hard was trying to explain to Abby that she was going to get a little brother (yes Chandler and Monica knew they were having a boy, they discovered the hard way that although waiting for a surprise is lovely, but they needed to start buying things before the baby was born so they needed to know if it was going to be a boy or girl), Abby accepted the idea happily, now she was going to have a friend to play with she said. Chandler was extra thrilled that they were going to have a boy – he adored Abby, but he would love a son, another male in a female dominated household would be nice he had said! However things were going to be a little cramped, for the time being Stephen (their unborn son) could share a room with Abby, but they would have to move eventually (FYI Joey offered to adopt Abby 'to help create space' but Chandler and Monica 'politely' declined).

In early November, at the convenient hour of 3am, Monica went into labour, so Abby found herself woken up and rushed to the hospital with her Mum and Dad (with Joey and co. following in a taxi). She sat on a plastic seat, swinging her legs, outside the delivery room. Joey was looking after her, and although it was gone 4am all Abby could do was ask about her new brother, she understood a lot for a 2 and a half year old! When Monica gave birth to Stephen Abby was the first one in to see him, and she fell in love with him, she stroked him as she sat next to her exhausted Mum while her teary-eyed Dad stood next to the bed.

Abby loved Stephen; she thought it was great that she had a younger brother to play with; however things were about in change in 6 months. Unbeknown to Phoebe when Monica gave birth to Stephen she was 3 months pregnant. When she found out, which was a couple of weeks after Stephen was born, she was worried about Joey's reaction. She knew that Joey loved children and Abby had a soft spot in his heart but how would he react to his own child? Monica calmed Phoebe down and told her that she was most likely worried over nothing. "Joey will be thrilled Pheebs." She had said. But Phoebe was still unsure, but ultimately knew that she had to tell him. A few days later Joey came home to Phoebe sitting in the recliner with the Joey-special on her lap and a 6-pack of beer next to her.

"Wow Pheebs, if this how I'm gonna be greeted every day then I have the best girlfriend ever!!!"

"So it's official then? I'm your girlfriend?"

"Well yeah, you're so much cooler and hotter than all the chicks I normally go out with." Joey said eagerly.

"You might not be so eager after you hear what I got to tell ya."

Joey looks worried. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Is it Abby? Stephen?"

"No, no one is sick."

"Oh thank GOD, but you have been throwing up Pheebs. Are you okay?"

"Well yeah I will be," she quietly adds "in about 6 months."

Joey didn't hear. "So what's up Pheebs?"

"Okay, okay… okay… so well you know how you have nieces and nephews, and they are blood related to you. Then there's Abby and Stephen, who aren't your niece and nephew but you spend a lot of time with them – wouldn't it be GREAT if an opportunity came up that you could have a child to play with all the time like Abby, but also related to you like your nieces and nephews. I mean wouldn't it be just GREAT!!!"

"I have no idea what you just said."

"Okay, I'm pregnant." She gave up.

"I'm gonna have a little Joey or Joesphine!?!?!?!?"

"Or a little Phoebe or Phoebo?"

Joey ran over to Phoebe and picked her up. He kissed her deeply and swung her around.

Year 2003

The gang grew again from 8 to 10 – yeah 2 extra children, Phoebe discovered a few months later that she was pregnant with twins – a boy and a girl. But Joey and Phoebe couldn't agree on names, Joey wanted the boy to be named after him and Phoebe wanted the girl to be named after her but it everyone told him that it would be far too confusing to all J and P names were thrown off the table. Donnelly and Drew Tribbiani were born in April 2003. Stephen was only 6 months older than the Tribbiani twins so Stephen spent a lot of time with Donnelly and Drew, which made Abby feel left out.

Summer was approaching, Abby was turning 3 and Stephen was months away from his 1st birthday when Chandler and Monica agreed that they had to find a bigger place, however they couldn't afford to move from an apartment to a house, which is what they needed. It worried the couple immensely but it was a vicious circle, the give their children everything they wanted (including starting to save for their futures) meant that they had to stay put, but to give them the family home that they deserved not only meant tightening belts, it meant going without a lot of things, how do you explain that to a toddler and a baby? One Friday in July Chandler's boss, Doug, called Chandler into his office. Chandler feared the worse, he thought after his years of slacking this was it, he was finally going to be fired, and it was ironic that he was going to be fired the one time he cared about keeping his job. His worrying was unnecessary though, Doug had noticed how much harder Chandler was working and that he seemed exhausted everyday. He didn't want to loose Chandler but he had seen it before, a new father burning out – and he understood the pressure.

"Bing," he started, "I don't want to loose you, but…" Chandler was thinking the worse, "…I can see that you're struggling with everything, so I thought it would be best to find a way to take the pressure off but at the same time make use of your talents. Bing, I like your decisions and the changes you have made. I think you're good, so what if I said I had found a way to take off all the other pressures – the WENUS, ANUS etc. and just let you take care of the reports?"

"I would say thank you, sir, then ask how that would work?"

"It would work if you were me. That is all I do, Bing, it's my men below me, like you, that handle all the other work."

"But I'm not you."

"But you could be if you wanted to be a company partner."

Chandler stared in shock. Company partner! That was HUGE he wouldn't have to worry about money anymore, he would have more time for Monica and their children.

"I'll give you the contract to read over Bing and take your time, it's a big decision. But let me warn you; don't think of this as a way out of work. The work that I do is far more serious and important than what you do. You would be dealing with other companies all over the World, not just this company."

"Oh thank you sir, thank you so much."

Chandler got up and shook Doug's hand excitedly, took the contract then ran out.

**The first thing he did was call Monica. **

Monica was over the moon, she told him to come home immediately so they could 'celebrate'.

**The second thing he did was take the afternoon off.**

Officially to take some time to think things over and to read the contract, humm well that was the half-truth.

**The third thing he did was buy Abby and Stephen a present.**

He couldn't resist – this promotion was for them.

**The forth thing he did was make love to his wife.**

"I'm telling you Rachel, it was the best sex we've ever had – it was like our lives had become complete. After years of bitching about his job, he finally made it and we have a family and an opportunity to have the perfect family home." Monica reported dreamily

"Whatever turns him on Monica." Rachel retorted.

**The fifth thing he did was read the contract and sign it.**

Everything was coming together…

**The sixth thing he did was buy their apartment.**

Like a fairy tale…

**The seventh thing he did was go house-hunting with Monica.**

The house-hunting was the seventh thing on his list – lucky number seven. They found a beautiful house on the suburbs of New York.

**The eighth thing he did was tell the gang.**

The number eight was not a lucky number. The gang were happy for Chandler and Monica but not that fact that they were moving so far away.

**The ninth thing he did was let out their apartment.**

Joey and Phoebe was Chandler and Monica's tenants; Joey and Phoebe were struggling with 2 babies and bills so Chandler and Monica offered them a good rental price and didn't want any deposit. The apartment was also bigger than Joey and Phoebe's so it gave them extra space – in return Joey and Phoebe were Chandler and Monica's unpaid babysitters whenever they were needed. 

Year 2004

"Abby smile for Mummy."

Click.

Monica took a picture of Abby on her first day at school, Monica was so proud of her daughter – she looked so cute in a pink and white checked dress and ribbons in her hair.

"Okay lets move."

Monica ushered Abby out the front door while she picked up Stephen who was playing on the floor. Monica opened the door to her and Chandler silver Jeep and put Stephen in the car seat in the back and Abby climbed in the back next to Stephen and tried to put her seat belt on.

"Here let me help you Abby."

Once she had sorted Abby and Stephen she climbed in the driver's seat and started the car, Chandler wanted to be here to see Abby off on her first day but had been called into an emergency meeting half and hour ago. She backed the car out of the drive way of their 4 bedroom house and started towards Abby's new school. It was only a 10 minute drive and Monica parked perfectly in the school parking bay. Abby managed to undo her seat belt and opened the door. "Abby stop right there young lady, wait for Mummy."

"But Mum, I wanna go now!" Abby was really excited about her first day, Monica smiled to herself while she got Stephen, who was sucking his 2 middle fingers and clutching onto his blanket, out of the car seat. She carried him and held onto Abby with her other hand, Abby skipped along the path leading into the school. Once inside Monica found the right classroom and opened the door, Abby let out a gasp of surprise when she saw all the books, sand trays, play dough, and the box of toys in the corner – Abby, being Abby, ran straight over to the book corner while Ms Johnson walked over to Monica.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Yeah I'm Monica Bing and that's my daughter Abigail Bing who just ran over there."

"Oh yes, Abigail is starting today."

"I need to take her coat off and give her pack lunch…," Monica started and tried to walk past Ms Johnson to Abby. "Mrs Bing, Abigail will be fine, it's good that she has run straight in, we have a lot of problems of children not wanting to leave their parents on the first day, but looks like Abigail is going to be fine."

"But she didn't even give me a kiss goodbye." Monica said sadly.

"She excited Mrs Bing, like most children, she'll tell you all about it when you pick her up later."

Monica held Stephen tighter as if the teacher was going to take her son away as well as her daughter, she sighed and started to walk out, giving Abby one last look – she was talking to some girl with long blond hair. As Monica opened the door, Abby screamed excitedly. "MUMMY!!!!!!" Monica's smile returned, she turned and caught Abby as she ran into her arms.

"Bye, bye Mummy."

"Bye, bye angel."

Abby ran back to the other children and Monica felt much happier.

The opposite happened on Stephen's first day at school – he had to be dragged to school by Monica and he screamed and screamed when Monica tried to leave him at school. It became a long running joke among the Bing children – Abby was the outgoing one as a child, but became more shy and quiet when she became a teenager, while Stephen was a shy and quiet child but became outgoing once he hit his teen years.

Year 2006

Such a small thing became such a big part of Abby's life – water, she loved it. Whenever she was in the bath she splashed and splashed so Chandler and Monica eventually thought that sending Abby to swimming lessons would stop her soaking the bathroom floor every bath time. Well it didn't stop Abby soaking the bathroom floor, but she did fall in love with the art of swimming, because it is an art. The way the human body can gracefully move through the water and water itself is as lethal as fire. Abby loved swimming under water – it was like she was in a different world and if you think about it, it is a different world. The underwater world has its own set of rules and regulations, gravity reacts differently, oxygen doesn't apply and all your senses become distorted so much so that your concentration has to increase to sense things that you take for granted on land. This is how Abby thought of the underwater world as a child and that never changed…

Year 2010

Abby's 10th birthday was the last year that she had a birthday party for many years. Things weren't going too great between the Bing children – Abby had started to feel jealous of Stephen. Stephen was very close to Donnelly and Drew Tribbiani, in fact they were inseparable. Drew Tribbiani was a tomboy and the boys didn't consider her a girl, unlike Abby who was a girl's girl – she played with dolls while Drew was making tree houses with the boys. Abby felt left out, most Sunday's Joey and Phoebe came round with Donnelly and Drew as well as Ross and Rachel with their son Robert (he was born in 2005). Abby considered her life hard and unfair – every Sunday everyone came round and it was 'family' only, but Abby didn't understand how why she wasn't allowed to ask her best friend Tamara around when Joey, Phoebe, Donnelly and Drew were allowed to come over – they weren't actually family. But her Dad had said, "Abby, they are family, Joey is like the brother I never had, we've known each other for years."

So every Sunday Abby just sat on the couch reading, trying to ignore the fact that all the grown ups were obsessed with Robert while Stephen, Donnelly and Drew were playing in the garden. The only one who spent about an hour with Abby every Sunday was Joey, who still adored Abby. Don't misunderstand, Chandler and Monica spent equal amount of time with Abby and Stephen, but liked to take advantage of the Sunday's to talk and spend time with their friends. So Abby ended up liking Joey the best, especially when he sneaked her chocolate before dinner.

Abby had all her friends at her birthday party, including her 'family'. She had a big birthday cake and a jumping castle. Although Chandler and Monica tried their best to make her 10th birthday as special as possible, Stephen managed to spoil it – typical of her brother. She had asked him to help her carry her presents upstairs; he said no, Abby had told her Dad who then ordered Stephen to help her. Stephen did so sulkily but then got revenge when they were alone in Abby's bedroom.

"You know Abby, sometimes I wish Drew was my sister and not you, 'cause you ALWAYS boss me around and tell me what to do and get me in trouble!" 

He then left her bedroom with a grin on his face, and Abby had fell down on her bed and cried herself to sleep, and forgot all about her party downstairs. When it came to cake time Chandler went looking for Abby and found her asleep, he woke her up and asked what was wrong and for the first time in her life she lied to her Dad. She said she didn't feel well, she didn't tell him what Stephen said, as far as Abby was concerned that was it. How could her own brother say that to her, she hated him and wished he would just move in with Drew if he liked her that much! 

As the year continued, she drew back further from her friends and family. Chandler and Monica were very concerned, Chandler knew that he had done the same as a child but for very different reasons, and he didn't want his daughter to go through the same. He left work early one winter morning and went home; he wanted to be home for when Abby got home from school. He was early, like he planned, so he went up to his and Monica's bedroom and searched through the his cupboard (he and Monica had separate cupboards for odd bits and pieces) and he found what he was looking for – the copy of The Lord Of The Rings that his childhood teacher, Miss Carter, had brought for him when he was younger. Chandler had always planned to sit down with both of his children and try to share some of the things that he treasured in his childhood – his reading, writing and painting. However by observing his children's developing personalities he could see that Abby was more like him while Stephen was more like Monica. Stephen had a flare for cooking, which pleased Monica to no end since when she had tried to teach Abby how to cook (simple things like cakes and cookies) she was never really interested. 

Abby walked through the door about an hour after Chandler had got home, as usual she walked straight up to her bedroom and took off her coat and shoes then methodically unpacked her school bag. Although she was like Chandler, she was like Monica in many other ways – she couldn't stand messes and everything had to be in its right place (Stephen was the opposite as Monica discovered the hard way – while teaching him to cook, he enjoyed cooking but was a messy cook!). Chandler knocked on Abby's door and he hears a faint 'yeah', he opened the door and found Abby sitting at her desk starting her homework. 

"Angel I want to talk to you, lets go for a drive."

"Dad I got homework to do."

"We won't be long, promise."

She grunted but got up and put her coat and shoes back on and followed Chandler downstairs.

They drove for about 30 minutes and found themselves back in The Village where the gang used to live, Chandler parked outside Central Perk and they got out. Abby only faintly remembered Central Perk, once the Bing's had moved it was easier for the rest of the gang to come to their house rather than all squashing into an apartment. They walked in and sat on the couch – it only seemed like yesterday that Chandler had been here with the rest of the gang, but it was about 7 years ago. He often came here alone after work or in his lunch break, he liked to sit and think here. Chandler orders a coffee for himself and a soft drink for Abby.

"Dad why are we here?"

"I want to talk to you, I'm worried about you angel. You've changed, you used to be the life and soul of the party but over the last few months you've stopped talking to us. We're your parents Abby, if you are worried about anything then you can tell us, we love you."

Abby smiled sadly and a few tears escaped from her bright blue eyes.

"I guess I don't feel like me anymore, I don't feel like I belong. The only time I feel right is when I'm curled up in my bed reading one of my books or swimming."

"I don't think we've ever talked about me when I was your age."

"No Dad we haven't."

"Well I was the same, the only time I felt right or remotely content was when I was by myself reading and writing."

"Why do I feel like this Daddy? Why do I feel so alone?"

"Oh sweetheart I wish I knew, the reason I felt like I did was because I was all alone. Your grandparents were divorcing and I had no brothers or sisters so I was alone, but you have Mum and me and we aren't separating and you have Stephen." When Chandler mentioned Stephen Abby's faced dropped but she kept quiet. "I know you and Stephen haven't been getting on recently but I promise that it's just because of your ages. Mum and Uncle Ross used to argue and fight all the time, you ask your Mum and she'll tell you how much she hated Uncle Ross, but now they are like best friends. What I'm trying to say is that it's hard growing up with someone else, especially when life is difficult because of school, making friends etc. But once you and Stephen grow older you'll understand that you argued not because you don't like each other, it will be because you didn't understand each other."

"Thanks Dad."

"Well I got something else to say and something to give you, out of you and Stephen you are the child who is more like me. That doesn't mean I love you more than your brother, I love you both just the way you are. But I know you will appreciate this more than Stephen, when I was younger than you my teacher gave me a book at school. A book that I consider the best book ever written, and I want to share it with you. I'm going to give you the book but if you want we can read it together or talk about it together and a film was made of the book back when you were a baby so maybe once you've read the book we can watch the film together. I want this to be an Abby and Daddy thing. Just us, and when you're brother gets a bit older I'll find a Stephen and Daddy thing."

"Do you and Mummy have a Monica and Chandler thing?" Abby innocently commented.

"That's one why of putting it…" Chandler trailed off. "Anyway, here it is," he passes her The Lord of the Rings. "If you want we can read some tonight before bed time."

Abby took the book and held it like it was precious; well it was precious to her. This was an Abby and Daddy thing, and it was special. For the first time for what seemed like months, Abby smiled. Chandler smiled back and gave her a big hug and kiss. And she took her book everywhere with her, school, holidays, the supermarket – she didn't care, she had to have it with her. 

Things did start to get better for Abby, she engrossed herself in her reading and had considered to write, she had such an amazing imagination but by the time Abby got a pen and paper the ideas that were as clear as glass only hours or minutes before hand had faded into blackness, so she let her ideas die. She got most of her ideas when she went swimming but she didn't think stuffing a pen and some paper in her swimming costume would work. So all her ideas came then faded, this continued for many years, until she found the determination and concentration to keep her ideas alive long enough to write them down, but this wouldn't happen for another 6 years. In the meantime Abby (and her parents) would have more to worry about than ideas getting lost…

Year 2012

On New Year's Eve 2011, Abigail Bing spent the evening in bed. It didn't matter that it was the end of the year or that the rest of her family and friends were downstairs celebrating, she physically couldn't be there. She was sick, not sick as in the flu or anything else a doctor could prescribe, she was exhausted, and no one knew why. It had started a few weeks before Christmas – Abby would come home from school and sleep for a few hours then get up for dinner, do her homework and then go back to bed. Chandler and Monica were very worried, Abby was so exhausted that she had to temporary stop swimming and that broke her heart. As she heard people countdown to midnight her bedroom door opened and her Dad crept in and sat down next to her. He leant over to the half asleep Abby and kissed her, he then whispered in her ear – Happy New Year angel. Then just before sleep took her fully she heard her Dad crying next to her, and it broke her heart more than when she had to stop swimming. "Please God; don't take my angel away from me." Chandler begged.

**Those where the first words she heard in 2012.******

The first few months of 2012 were hell for Abby, she had so much time off school and while this wouldn't bother her brother, she hated it. She enjoyed school, she enjoyed learning and now that was being taken away, just like her swimming. If she wasn't off school because she physically couldn't get out of bed, then she was off school because of doctor's and hospital appointments. It wasn't unto mid-March that the doctor's finally found out what was wrong with Abby, she had a disease called Glandular Fever – and it was untreatable. Chandler and Monica were devastated at first; it took a doctor and a nurse to calm the parents down. The doctor then explained that it wasn't treatable but it wasn't fatal. Yes, it WAS serious but not life threatening and it will go away, but he couldn't give a time. Some people have Glandular Fever for a few months, others for years. Common symptoms include swollen glands and exhaustion, there are different levels of the illness, some people can continue life as normal but with a few bad days when they feel tired all the time, others spend months in hospital not being able to move because of the exhaustion.

Abby was in the middle, she improved but not enough to go back to swimming and on average she would spend 3 and a half to 4 days in school per week. For 4 years she was ill, and for those 4 years she only ever spent 5 complete weeks in school. It was hard for a 12 year old to spent 50% of the day in bed, and the majority of the time she wasn't mentally tired, she normally cried herself to sleep. Chandler and Monica felt helpless; there was nothing they could do. There was nothing anyone could do, not doctors, not her parents and not herself. She hated that she couldn't do anything – she felt helpless and she made herself a promise that if she ever got better she wouldn't take life for granted again.

**And she didn't.**

As the years passed she eventually lost contact with all friends she had at school which started off depression. The only times she smiled was when her family did special things for her, even Stephen made an effort. They didn't get along but Stephen hated seeing his sister in pain, it hurt him. He would go around to her teachers and collect class and homework for her whenever she wasn't in school, and he gained a lot of admiration from her teachers for doing that (and from girls). Chandler brought her books and read them to her, or there were times that they would lay on her bed together and read together. Monica would tell Abby stories about herself, her Dad and her Aunts and Uncles (related and non-related) that would make her laugh. Then after she ran out of stories Monica gave her permission to read her diaries – no secrets between mother and daughter she had said. Joey also used to come around a lot – still a struggling actor after nearly 2 decades, whenever he wasn't working he would come over and keep Abby company in the days, they used to watch films together and he used to tell her all the chat-up lines used by guys so she can be prepared when she starts dating. Abby loved spending time with Joey, Joey would hug Abby and all her worries used to disappear. Joey even gave Abby his DOOL collection when his biggest fan, his grandmother, passed away. She had taped every episode that Joey was in. Whenever Abby felt up to it Joey used to take her to the cinema for a special treat, they used to go and watch a girly flick (that's what Abby liked watching) and then go and eat pizza.

Year 2016

When Abby got the all clear it was just before her 16th birthday – so it was a double celebration, but Abby still didn't feel like herself. She had been back to school full time for a few months, but everything had changed. She still did really well, even though she spent the last 4 years ill she had still kept up with school work – there was nothing wrong with her brain she kept on insisting, it was just her body that couldn't keep up. Abby was especially happy because she had started swimming again, granted it was just weekend swimming – she was told that even though she has been given the all clear, she could have attacks for the next 5 years or so, so no more swimming lessons yet. But she had fought to go swimming on weekends and finally won. It was strange being back at school 5 days a week, her brother had grown up a lot and she never really noticed until she went back to school full time. He was popular and he used his sister's illness and how he collected her class and homework every day after school to his advantage. This made Abby bitter – like he never REALLY cared about her, he only cared about his image.

At the party Chandler and Monica had a gift for Abby, and when they announced it Abby was so happy that she was practically screaming the house down. As a 16th birthday present and a well done for getting better they (all 4 of them) were going on holiday for 2 weeks to Portugal and Chandler and Monica had arranged for Abby to swim with dolphins.

**That changed her life.**

**She began to write.**

**And she never looked back.**

Year 2018

In 2018 Abby graduated top of her year, she also won the New York Young Writers' competition and she was accepted into Liverpool University in England on an English Literature course. 2018 was turning out to be a promising year until Abby's love for Joey crossed the line. Abby had loved Joey unconditionally all her life – and what had begun as fatherly love had turned into romantic love on Abby's part. Being ill for 4 years meant that Abby didn't have a stereotypical teenage life like Stephen who was dating from the earliest possible age. The only non-related male that she had contact with (that actually took her out and spent time with her) was Joey. However Joey only thought of Abby as a daughter, nothing more. The misunderstanding happened after Joey gave Abby a beautiful gold St. Christopher on a gold chain as a joint graduation present and good luck present for university. Abby thought it was his way of saying he loved her and what started out as an innocent kiss on the cheek became a forced full blown kiss from Abby, what made the situation worse what that Chandler had choose that particular moment to walk in Abby's room. Joey immediately pulled away shocked, but Chandler exploded and punched Joey in the face, dragged him down the stairs and threw him out of his house. Abby tried to explain that it had been her fault but Chandler didn't believe her.

The summer was ending and Joey still wasn't allowed anywhere near Abby or the Bing home. It was breaking Joey apart and Abby felt so guilty. Just before Abby left the house with her parents to the airport she wrote her Dad a letter that explained everything (Chandler refused to listen to Abby, he kept on saying that she was 18 and didn't know better) and begged him to forgive Joey, that without Joey Abby would have given up on getting better when she was ill. He kept on encouraging her; he was like a best friend to her.

Abby sat on the plane that was flying to the country that she would be spending the next 3 years in. A new part of her life, and she felt bad that she had destroyed her perfect family by a stupid crush and now it felt like she was running away from her mistake. But she had done her best, she hoped that her Dad would stop being stubborn and realise that his little angel wasn't as angelic as he thought. She fingered the St. Christopher around her neck and prayed that everything would turn out okay.


End file.
